Many leaders try to change company culture at the same time they implement new strategies or in the midst of mergers and turnarounds. But most cultures are so rooted that drastic change is almost impossible. Instead, leaders should choose their battles and focus on a few critical shifts by following these steps:
Observe the current behaviors prevalent in the organization.
Compare the current behavior to how people act in an ideal state where their actions support the new business objectives.
Prioritize the behaviors that will have the most significant impact on the company's ability to implement its strategy. Choose ones that will be generally observable to others and are most likely to be emulated.
Emphasizing just a few behaviors at a time allows you to move the needle on culture change much more quickly.